


Next Generation Dhampirs

by WillCH1999



Series: Jessica Belikov [1]
Category: Vampire Academy & Related Fandoms
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-07
Updated: 2016-10-08
Packaged: 2018-07-29 20:13:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,454
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7697938
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WillCH1999/pseuds/WillCH1999
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ever wonder what Rose and Dimitri's kid would be like? Well, here you have it! Jessica Belikov is the newest dhampir at Court and she's learning to live her new life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Hidden Child

I never would have guessed it, but it’s all true. Ever heard of Richelle Mead? Because it turns out, she wasn’t just some fiction novelist. It’s all real. Dhampirs, strigoi, moroi, all of it! And I’m a part of it.  
My story began one day in early June, a week before school let out. I was bouncing with joy because as soon as the bell rang, I got to go get my license. I felt like life was rushing towards me, and while I wasn’t ready to be an adult just yet, I was excited to be driving.  
I was sitting in my English class, when my teacher got a call that I was wanted in the office. She said that my father was here to pick me up, which was weird, because my dad was out of town for another two days.  
When I got downstairs, I was greeted by a man who WASN’T my father. But the office said he was and signed me out anyways.  
Now, I know what you’re thinking: stranger danger and all that, but my parents often sent in friends of theirs to get me with the excuse that they were family. I guess they could get by with this one, since my dad had never actually been to the school.  
He opened the back door to a black Chevy Malibu for me, and I slid in, throwing my bag on the floor.  
Sitting in the passenger’s seat was a woman, a few inches taller than me, with thick, dark curls running down her back. She turned to me with big, brown eyes, and introduced herself.  
“Hi, I’m Rose Hathaway-Belikov! I’ve been waiting a long time to meet you!” She held her hand out to me and I shook it hesitantly.  
“I’m Jessica-”  
“I know,” she cut me off, “Like I said, I’ve been wanting to meet you for a while.” Ok. Creepy.  
She turned back around and the car started. The man drove off, but when he left school grounds, he went in the opposite direction of my house.  
“Where are we going?” I asked, panicking.  
“Airport,” he replied simply.  
“What?!” There were so many things wrong with this. Where were my parents? What did they have to say about this? And, if they were ok with it, where were we going? Where were my bags?  
As if reading my mind, Rose explained, “We already spoke to your parents. We packed you a suitcase, but they thought it was too hard to watch. We’ll explain everything better when we get on the jet.”  
“Jet?” I asked. My mind was swirling with the infinite possibilities of what was going on. Instead of answering, Rose just nodded.  
Once we arrived at the airport, the man, whose name I learned was Dimitri, got three suitcases out of the trunk, and he and Rose rolled them up to the sidewalk. Dimitri handed the car keys to a man in a light blue uniform and said something I couldn’t hear, then motioned for me to join them.  
I took one of the suitcases, setting my bag on top, and followed them into the building. We bypassed all the check ins and security screenings. They led me straight to a gate where a concierge welcomed us and let us through without checking us.  
The inside of the jet looked like something out of a movie. Plush arm chairs, tables with pristine white cloths draped over them, flight attendants coming from a back room carrying trays. I sat down in an armchair by the window, laying my suitcase down behind me.  
Rose and Dimitri took the seats in front of me and looked at me in solemn silence until we took off. After we were served drinks and snacks, Dimitri folded his hands on the table in front of him and began.  
“So, Jessica, there’s really no easy way to explain this-”  
“So start from the beginning,” I interrupted, “You take me out of school, drag me to the airport and stuff me on a jet with my suitcases somehow already packed. You at least owe me an explanation as to WHY I’m here.”  
“You’re right,” he continued, “I guess I’ll start from the beginning.”  
He told me all about dhampirs, moroi, and strigoi. He told me about him and Rose’s experiences, occasionally aided by Rose; even though I knew all of that having read all the books. He told me how it was believed to be impossible for two dhampirs to have children, but since he was once a strigoi, something in him made it possible. Then he told me this:  
“16 years ago, we had a child. A little girl. She was so strong and beautiful. At the same time, in the same hospital, another woman had a daughter, but hers was sick and dying. She died hours after birth. We didn’t want to risk bringing a child into this life, knowing she would be tested and observed like a lab rat, so…”  
“We switched the babies,” Rose finished for him, “Our daughter grew up in a normal family, never worrying about being followed or watched.”  
“But now, people are looking for her, so we need to bring her home, where at least she’ll be safe, with us.”  
Realization sunk in, seeing the troubled looks on their faces. “I’m your daughter,” I said, dropping my gaze.  
Rose nodded and took my hand. “We wanted to tell you sooner, but we didn’t want to put you in danger. People thought I lost the baby in childbirth, but someone got into the medical files and found what really happened. They weren’t far from figuring out who you were.”  
I sat in silence, letting them explain and apologize for not telling me sooner. Then I realized, they had no proof. “I don’t believe you,” I said, after a long silence. They looked confused, so I explained, “I want proof! I want some kind of way to tell that you’re not lying! Why should I believe you?”  
Rose and Dimitri exchanged glances, then Dimitri said, “Look at me and concentrate. Imagine you can see through my physical form, and straight into my soul and mind.”  
“This is stupid-”  
“Just do it. Please.”  
I sighed, then did as he said. I concentrated on his face, as if somehow something would change. Then, it did. Around his body, a very faint ring of blue appeared, flickering and fading a bit, before becoming more solid. I felt a sense of desperation, guilt, and something else… Longing? But… this wasn’t me. It was coming from him.  
“How did you do that?” I asked in awe.  
“I didn’t,” he answered, “You did. Children born of re-awakened have special powers. We’re taking you to a place where you can learn to use your powers and control them.”  
I blinked, then turned my gaze back out the window. For the rest of the trip, I stayed in silence. It wasn’t that hard because the trip only lasted another hour or so.


	2. Guardian Belikov

When we landed, two men dressed entirely in black took my bags. A third man shook Rose and Dimitri’s hands and welcomed them back. He approached me after them and shook my hand, saying, “Welcome to Court, Guardian Belikov.”  
“That’s gonna take some getting used to,” I muttered. Dimitri chuckled and led us inside.   
Thankfully, it was air conditioned. Dimitri went to an elevator at the end of a long hallway and took it up to the third floor.  
“This is where all the dhampirs stay,” he explained, “There’s a training room in the other wing. I’ll show you where it is after you get settled. For food, you can order it to be brought to your room, or there is a variety of restaurants on the grounds.”   
Once in front of room 384, he stopped and pulled out a key. He turned the lock and the door opened with a soft ‘click’ letting us inside.   
The room was more like a suite, complete with a living room, studio, bathroom, bedroom, and a walk-in closet. The two men who were carrying my bags set them down at the foot of the bed, and, after getting permission from Dimitri, left the two of us.  
“Why don’t you rest a little?” Dimitri offered, “It’s been a long day.”  
“No,” I replied, “I’ll be fine. Didn’t you say you could show me the training room?”  
Without another word, he stood up and handed me the key to the room, then walked out, but stopped to make sure I was following.   
When we got to the training room, there was already someone in there. He was a handsome young man, with hair just a bit longer than Dimitri’s and piercing blue eyes. He was dressed in black gym shorts and a red muscle shirt, fighting with three other people all clad in black. After a moment, he threw one of them to the ground with a grunt and pinned them there.  
“You’re getting better,” Dimitri commented when the other two left the mat.  
The young man saw us walking in and beamed, loosening his grip on his opponent just enough to allow them to scuttle out from under him.   
“Thanks. I’ve been practicing,” he said, walking towards us, “So is this her?”  
Dimitri nodded, “Yes, James, this is Jessica. Jessica, this is James.” James held out his hand to me and I shook it without saying a word. “You should work on defeating all THREE enemies now,” Dimitri added, breaking the silence.  
James chuckled and responded, “Well, my teacher’s never there to help me, so I do what I can.” He shot Dimitri an accusatory glance, then his expression lightened, indicating that he was joking.  
“Well, now I’ll probably be here every day. I need to train Jess before we can assign her,” Dimitri explained.  
“I can help with that. I mean, if you want.” His gaze turned to me, but something told me he was still talking to Dimitri.  
Dimitri put a protective hand on my shoulder and said, “Maybe some other time. I want to show her around a bit first, then show her some of the basics. We’re a bit short staffed for tonight, so Lissa asked me to get her ready for her first guarding experience.”  
“Will she be ready?” James countered.  
“I’m right here you know,” I interrupted, “And what’s tonight?”  
“The king’s birthday ball,” he explained, “Lots of guardians are out on assignments, so we need as many hands as we can get.”  
“Shouldn’t you be getting ready for that?” Dimitri asked, “You only have 3 hours.”  
“Exactly,” James answered, “I have 3 hours! I’ll stick with you two, then go get changed.”  
Dimitri sighed, and I detected a hint of annoyance, but decided not to say anything. Whatever happened, I hoped I’d never have to work with James.   
It was a few hours later when Dimitri finally took me back to my room. James had gone to change so that left us alone. “My room is the one right across from this one. If you ever need anything, I’m here to help.”  
I nodded and thanked him, and in that moment, Rose came in, carrying a pile of clothes.   
“What are these for?” I asked.  
“Tonight,” she explained, “All guardians wear these uniforms to important events.”  
“But I’m not a guardian.”  
“Tonight you are,” she countered, “And soon we’ll initiate you. We know you’ve already had a lot of training.”  
“What? How?”  
“Jess, we’ve been protecting you your whole life. We’ve been to every concert, recital, and tournament. You are a remarkable young lady and we are so proud of you!”  
I blushed and smiled a bit. My other parents rarely came to any of those events. “Thanks,” was all I could say.  
Rose smiled and touched her hand to my cheek, “Of course,” she said. Then her expression hardened a little and she said, “Now go get changed. Dimitri, you do the same. I’ll wait out here for her and we can go down together. I’ll have to be by Lissa most of the night, so I figured she could stick by you and Christian. You guys can handle yourselves.”  
Dimitri simply nodded and walked out, after planting a soft kiss on each of our foreheads. Without saying anything, I headed to the bedroom and began to change. When I walked out, I gave Rose a 360 and let her see if everything was in place.  
“Well?” I said when she didn’t comment.  
She looked a mixture of sad and proud. “I never thought I’d see the day when my daughter finally wore a guardian’s uniform.”   
I pursed my lips and didn’t say anything. She had me sit down on the couch and began to pull my hair back into a tight but messy ponytail.   
The front door opened a minute later and Dimitri stepped in. He froze for a second, barely noticeable, then continued walking toward us. Rose didn’t seem to notice his moment of hesitation, but I did. He probably felt the same way as Rose.  
“Ready to go?” she asked, holding the door open for us.  
I followed them down to the first floor and through a series of doors that seemed endless. Finally, we reached the ballroom. It was a grand hall with pillars lining the walls. The floor was covered in intricately designed tiles, and the ceiling displayed a mosaic of a small village going about its daily routine.   
I was in awe at the grandeur of it all, but I kept walking, keeping in stride with Rose. When she finally stopped, it was in front of two more doors.   
She turned to me and explained, “I have to go to Lissa now. Stay by your father and Christian. It shouldn’t be that hard a night.” I flinched when she said “father” but nodded wordlessly when she was finished. She smiled and ducked through the door on her right.   
I followed Dimitri through the door on the left until we reached a rom that looked oddly like a dressing room.   
“Dimitri,” said a man, sitting in an armchair in the corner. He looked a lot like James, just shorter hair and darker eyes. And a lot less scruff. “I’m glad both of you are here,” he continued, “Jared got called in to help with initial security so my son doesn’t have a guardian for the night. Do you think Jessica can handle it?”   
Dimitri’s gaze shifted to me, as if waiting for me to answer. When I realized that was exactly what he was doing, I said, “Sure. How bad can he be?”  
The man, Christian I guessed, explained that he would be there in a minute. He wasted no time on pleasantries, stating simply that tonight was bad enough and he just wanted to get it over with. Dimitri told me he was never big on social events, but his wife was so he endured them. That is so cute!  
The door we had come through opened behind us.   
“There he is now,” Christian said, walking past us towards whoever had come through the door. When I turned around to see who it was, I was face to face with none other than James. “James, this is-”  
“Jessica,” he finished for him, “Yes, we’ve met.”  
“Great!” Christian sighed with relief, “Then you two can head out. I just need to discuss some things with Dimitri. If you see your mother, tell her I’ll be right out.”  
James nodded and we headed back down the hall. He tried to talk to me, but I wouldn’t answer. I had thought he was a dhampir! Now I learn that he’s the prince?! When we reach the end of the hall, just before the door that leads to the ballroom, I confront him.  
“Look, I’m just here to do my job! Nothing more. Just let me do that, then we can go our separate ways, ok?!”  
“Ok, alright,” he replied, sounding annoyingly smug, “I just don’t get why you’re mad at me.”  
“Oh, really?!” I countered, “Why don’t we start with the fact that you didn’t tell me you were a moroi. Then add on the fact that you didn’t tell me you were a ROYAL moroi. Or that your mom is the queen! I have plenty of reason to be mad at you!”  
“But would you have talked or acted the way you did around me if you knew who I was?” At this I fell silent. “Everyone treats me different because of who my parents are. Just for once, I wanted someone not to handle me like dangerous chemicals.”  
I dropped my gaze, regretting having snapped at him like that. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know-”  
“You wouldn’t,” he countered, “I just figured… We’re in the same boat, you and I. You haven’t met others around here, but when you do, they’ll treat you differently because of who YOUR parents are. I thought maybe you’d like to know someone who has it like you. Or like you will.” I bit my lip, keeping my eyes on the ground. “Let’s just go,” he said finally.  
I followed him out to the ballroom, expecting it to be empty, like it was when I got there not 5 minutes ago, but the hall was filled with people wearing elegant ball gowns and suits. I felt really under-dressed, until I remembered that I was just a guardian.  
James made his way over to a lovely blonde woman wearing a green, satin gown and white gloves. “James, dear! I’m so glad you’re here! Listen, Alessia Drozdov just arrived and she’s been asking if you were coming. She’s over by the drinks-”  
“I’m not dancing with Alessia Drozdov,” he interrupted, “Mom, I kinda just want to sit this one out.” So this was his mother.  
She looked displeased, but conceded, “Why don’t you just stay for a few dances, then your guardian can accompany you to your room.” She looked at me for the first time, and her eyes widened. “Jessica? Is that you?” I nodded and she pulled me into a bone crushing hug. “It’s so nice to finally meet you! I’m Vasilisa, but most people just call me Lissa. Oh! Your mother is one of my closest friends! I’m so glad you’re here! But, what happened to Jared?”  
“He got called in to do something else,” James explained, “Jess is here with me tonight.” He placed a gentle hand on my back, in the way a close friend would. It reminded me of Jamie, a boy I had known since middle school and loved like a brother.   
Lissa bit her lip, then said, “Alright. Well, like I said, at least stay for a few dances. Once your father comes out and has a dance, then you can leave. Until then, you two have fun!” She waved as another woman pulled her in a different direction.   
I caught a glimpse of Rose’s face before she followed. She looked amused that we were together.  
James sat down at one of the tables lining the dancefloor. I stood behind him, remembering what Dimitri had said about staying vigilant.  
“You can sit down. No one’s going to attack me here,” James said, taking a sip from a glass of water in front of him.  
“Thank you,” I replied, but remained standing.   
After a minute, he sighed and stood up. “If you’re going to stand, at least dance with me,” he said, holding out an inviting hand.  
I hesitated, “Should you really-”  
“Like you said, my mother is the queen. I can do as I please. Now, would you like to dance with me?”   
Seeing as I had nothing else to do, and, quite frankly, I was bored, I accepted. I took his hand and he strolled onto the dance floor. When he stopped, he gently wrapped his arm around my waist and took my hand in his free one. I rested my other hand on his shoulder and he pulled me closer.  
“I feel like I should be wearing a dress,” I muttered, looking around at all the moroi staring at me.  
“You look beautiful,” James replied with a smile.   
He took the hand that held one of my own and used it to tilt my chin up to look at him. I placed my hand on his shoulder, but continued to look into his eyes. They were so beautiful and deep, I could get lost in them.   
“Don’t worry about them,” he murmured, “Just worry about dancing.”   
But I wasn’t. I wasn’t even thinking about it, but somehow we were dancing. His hand went from my chin to my waist and we were lost in the music. When the song ended, I giggled and he smiled at me. What was I so worried about?  
After that, we sat down at the table he had chosen and talked. He actually wasn’t that annoying. When his father came out, he danced with Lissa and everyone gave them the floor. I watched, mesmerized, as the two seemed to move in perfect harmony around the room. When it was over, everyone clapped, then a few joined them on the floor.  
After a few songs, a guardian came to chastise me for sitting down on the job, but James defended me, saying I was his date. I blushed a little when he said it, but I went along with it.   
Eventually, James’s parents, accompanied by mine, came over to where we were sitting and joined us. At least then I wasn’t the only guardian sitting down.  
“I thought you were leaving,” Lissa commented.  
“I found a reason to stay,” James replied.  
I made my face go serious so that they wouldn’t think I had TOO much to do with it. Lissa smiled at me and took Christian’s hand. “Don’t stay out too late, you two,” she said, before dragging Christian onto the dance floor.  
Rose and Dimitri, however, stayed put.   
“Don’t you two have to guard them?” I asked  
“We can watch them from here,” Dimitri said, smugly.  
“Why so eager to get rid of us?” Rose added.  
“We’re not,” James said defensively, “We were just wondering if you were going to protect my parents or not.”  
“Do you think someone’s going to attack them HERE of all places?” Rose asked, raising a brow.  
James sighed, then held out his hand to me. “One more dance?” he asked, “I’m going to call it a night after this song.”  
I took his hand and followed him to the dance floor, casting one last glance at Rose and Dimitri.  
When the song ended, James offered to walk me back to my room.  
“Isn’t that my job?” I asked.  
“Well, see, here’s the conflict of interest, so to speak: you’re my guardian, but I’m the man. So that begs the question, chivalry or work ethic?”  
“That’s not a conflict of interest,” I said, suppressing a laugh, “And I think I’d rather not take any chances. Your parents would kill me if anything happened to you and I wasn’t there to stop it.”  
“Yours would do the same, were the roles reversed,” he countered.  
“I can take care of myself.”  
“So can I.”  
After realizing he wouldn’t budge, I grunted and conceded, “Fine! Now can I go to my room? I need to sleep you off.”  
“But we were having such a great time together!” he protested jokingly.  
“If that’s what you want to call it.” I was trying to hide the fact that I had actually enjoyed spending time with him, but I got the sense he could see right through me.   
He didn’t respond to that. Instead, he shrugged and pressed the button on the elevator to the 3rd floor. We rode in silence, then when we were outside my room, he said, “Have dinner with me sometime.”  
It sounded more demanding than he probably meant, but it took me completely by surprise, so all I could say was, “You eat?”  
He laughed and said, “Yeah. Moroi have to eat too, just… less. My family has dinner together every Saturday. Come with us. I know my parents would love to get to know you better.”  
I crossed my arms, thinking of an excuse to get out of it, but I couldn’t think of any.  
“Look,” James began, “I know we got off to a rough start, but I want to show you that I’m not a bad guy. Maybe, if dinner is too much, we could train together sometime.”  
“Fine,” I said at last, “Tomorrow, I’ll meet you in the training room. If I decide I don’t hate you, then maybe I’ll consider dinner.”  
He smiled and kissed my cheek, then went back to the elevator, every once in a while turning back to look at me. I smirked and rolled my eyes as I pushed the door open.


	3. Meet the Ivashkovs

I got into my pajamas and started unpacking, putting all my things wherever they fit best. I was sad to see that no one had bothered to pack any of my books, but at the bottom of one of my suitcases sat my kindle. I hadn’t used it in a while and I doubted it still worked, but it’s the thought that counts.   
It took me a few minutes to get unpacked and I had just lay down in bed, when I heard a knock at my door. I looked over at the clock on my nightstand and saw that it was 2 am.  
“At this hour?” I complained to myself.  
Reluctantly, I slid out from under the covers and went to open the door. In front of me stood a woman, flanked by two men, possibly her husband and son.  
“Jessica, right?” the woman asked. I nodded and leaned on the door frame, blocking them from entering.  
“Who are you?” I asked, stifling a yawn.  
“Oh, right, sorry. I’m Sydney. These are Adrian,” she pointed at the man on her left, “And Declan,” then at the one on her right. “May we come in?”  
I was so tired I didn’t care anymore. I let them in and ordered a coffee for myself on the keypad in the studio. The tracker said it would be here in less than 5 minutes. Doubtful, but ok.  
Sydney, Adrian, and Declan made themselves comfortable in the living room. Once I sat down on the recliner, letting one leg dangle and pulling the other up to my chest, I asked, “So, who are you?”  
“I’m your uncle,” explained Adrian, “And this is our son Declan.”  
“Thanks, I, uh, got the names down. I mean, why are you here? And why at this ungodly hour?”  
Sydney shot Adrian a glare and said, “I told you she’d still be on human time.”  
“Human time?” I said confused.  
“Yeah,” Sydney replied, “Around here, they flip the time schedule so that the moroi don’t have to be out in the sun during the day. I TOLD Adrian you wouldn’t be on our schedule yet.”  
“Well, what better time to start than now?” I asked, getting up to retrieve my coffee from the woman standing awkwardly in my doorway. As soon as I took a drink, the heat woke me up, but the caffeine shot straight into my system, effectively helping me regain control of what was going on.   
“You still haven’t answered my question, though,” I continued, “What are you doing here?”  
This time, it was Declan who spoke, “You were born of two dhampirs, correct?” I nodded, “So was I. My mother was a re-awakened and my father was a dhampir. Sydney and Adrian have been hiding me ever since because we were all afraid of what people would do to me if they found out who I really was.”  
“Nice to see everyone had the same concern when it came to me,” I muttered, taking another drink of my coffee.   
“That’s the thing,” Sydney said, “We’re trying to help you do that. In the meantime, we wanted you and Declan to meet.”  
I thought for a second, then said, “Two things: 1, help me do what? And 2, why?”  
“To answer your second question,” Adrian began, “Declan has certain… powers. And it’s likely that you do too. We thought that maybe the two of you could work on figuring them out together.”  
“As for your first question,” Sydney added, “We think we’ve found a way for you to live comfortably without worrying about the moroi wanting to run tests. We just need to get it approved by the queen.”  
“And what would that be?” I asked quizzically.  
“If you were to go to St. Vladimir’s Academy, you’d be in plain sight, but they couldn’t get to you to take you away because people would start to suspect, the kids would start asking questions, and there would be too many holes to fill in!” Adrian explained, a little too enthusiastically.  
I nodded slowly, turning my gaze back to Sydney. “So what kind of powers are we talking?”  
“We don’t know all of them yet, but they seem to be the same as regular spirit users’. Telekinesis, reading auras, dream walking, healing.”  
“And you think I have them?” I challenged.  
“Have you ever done something incredible that you couldn’t explain?” Declan asked.   
I thought back to the plane, when I saw the cloud of colors dance around Dimitri’s head. Did that count?  
“By your silence, I’m guessing that’s a yes,” Declan said softly, “We can meet and train together, learn more about ourselves and our powers. You don’t have to be alone in this!”   
In that moment, I realized two things: the first was that he was really young. Like, maybe a year or two older than me. Second, he HAD been alone. He was the one who didn’t want to be alone anymore. I had been alone most of my life.   
But something told me that he had a point; I didn’t want to go through this alone.  
“When do we start?” I asked.  
“Whenever you want,” Declan said with a smile.  
“How about we let her get some sleep,” Sydney suggested, “I’ll come get you around 6pm, ok?”  
It felt weird, her talking to me sweetly like that, but I nodded and let her take the lead. She looked like she knew what she was doing better than anyone else here, and for now, that was good enough for me.  
“Good night, Jessica!” they all said as they left.  
The next couple of days were strange. I trained with Rose, Dimitri, and James. Dimitri took charge and taught me how to fight off strigoi with a stake, and after no more than a few days I was made an official guardian.   
Sometime around 2 am every day, Declan came to find me wherever I was having lunch and the two of us would go back to the main structure and practice. Occasionally, Lissa would join us.  
When Saturday came, James asked me about dinner again. I was in a particularly good mood that day, so I said yes.  
At dinner, his parents just asked questions to get to know me better. I told them about moving around because of my mom’s job, about all the different languages I spoke, about my little sister. I left out some of the more personal things, like Jamie, to avoid an awkward conversation.  
After the meal, James walked me back to my room. Before letting me leave, though, he asked, “So why are you in such a cheery mood?”  
“My dad invited me to go on an assignment with him and my mom tomorrow!”  
The assignment was just to find the cave a group of strigoi had been seen in and wipe them out. Simple enough. Though they assured me it would NOT be simple.  
He looked taken aback, but he smiled weakly and said, “That’s the first time I’ve ever heard you call them ‘mom’ and ‘dad.’”  
“I know! That’s how excited I am!”   
“Are you sure you’re ready for this?” he asked. He seemed genuinely worried.  
“I’ll be fine,” I said calmly, softly placing my hand on his shoulder, “But I should get to bed. I need to be rested for tomorrow.” I kissed him lightly on the cheek, said, “Good night,” then went to bed.


	4. Rookie Mistake

The next day, Dimitri woke me up around 5 to get ready. I wasn't as tired as I expected to be. It was supposed to be just the two of us and Rose.

They briefed me on the mission and we left. There weren't supposed to be more than a few strigoi, so we planned on just sticking together to take them out. However, when we got there, nothing went according to plan. They ambushed us just as we neared the entrance to the cave, encircling us in a ring of living dead.

My grip on my stake tightened, and my free hand made its way to Dimitri's arm. I clutched it as if I were afraid of losing him, which, I guess I was.

Once one of them lunged, it was a free-for-all. I was killing strigoi left and right. I was barely aware of anything other than the task at hand. It wasn't until Rose gasped in pain beside me that I realized we had cut through most of them. I lost count of how many I had been responsible for, but when I looked over, it didn't matter.

Holding her by the soldiers, a strigoi stood, bent over her neck. It took me a moment to realize what he was doing: he was drinking her blood. I didn't react fast enough, and by the time I had pried it off her, she had lost too much blood.

"Take her back!" ordered Dimitri, "Get her some help."

"No! I'm not leaving you!"

"I'll be here when you get back. There'll be plenty more strigoi for you to get your hands on," after he said that, he shoved the strigoi he was battling against a tree and thrust his stake into its heart, "Now go! Don't waste too much time! I'll be right here!"

I felt really bad leaving him, but I knew that Rose would die if I didn't get her any help. I helped her back to the gates of Court and instructed the guardian to take her to the hospital, then I sprinted back to Dimitri.

He was struggling against two strigoi, and that looked to be the last of them. I took care of one of them, stabbing it from behind where it couldn't see me.

Dimitri killed the last one and was panting by the time the body hit the ground. When he looked at me, he smiled, seeming almost proud about what had happened.

"Do you know how many strigoi you killed?" he asked.

"Oh right! I was supposed to count! I think maybe six-"

"Eleven," he interrupted, "Your first assignment, and you killed eleven strigoi. Do you know how many I killed?" I shook my head. "Twelve," he supplied.

"How do you know how many I killed?" I asked.

"Because I know how it feels. Your first mission with this many strigoi and dhampirs, you pay more attention to what you're doing than how many strigoi you've killed. I counted for both of us, but we both get stars either way."

"Well that's a relief," I sighed, "I didn't want to have to get eleven molnija."

Dimitri smiled the put his arm around my shoulder. "Let's get you home," he said and we started walking.

When we got back, before anyone would let us do anything, Dr. Lawler made us wait while he got us all cleaned up. I had a sprained ankle from running on uneven terrain and Dimitri had a few cuts and scrapes, but he deemed us fit to leave, with the promise that I wouldn't use my right foot too much. He even gave me a crutch to use.

We went to see Rose, who was in much better condition than before. She sat up in the hospital bed, and a man sat next to her, holding a tattoo gun to her neck.

"How many do you get?" I asked.

"Five," she said proudly, "You guys?"

"We did 11 and 12 so we get stars," Dimitri explained for me.

She laughed weakly as the man set his needle down on the table. "Am I doing you two as well?"

"Yes," Dimitri said without hesitating.

The man cleaned the needle of and set up all new supplies then got started.The needle stung a bit at first, but after a little bit it felt better. When it was done, the man wrapped it up and told me not to uncover it for a while, then went to work on Dimitri.

After a minute, there was a soft knock on the door and Sydney peaked in. "Hey," she said softly, "Are you guys alright?"

"Yeah," Rose responded hoarsely, "Just a few scrapes, cuts, and pints of missing blood."

Sydney's eyes went wide and she grinned, "This is perfect! Jess can work on her healing!"

"No, I can't," I said, standing up, "I've never tried it on something this major!"

"You'll be fine! It's almost the same thing, it just takes more energy. Try it!"

I sighed and turned back to Rose. "Don't get mad at me if this doesn't work."

"Honey," she said, putting her hand on my cheek, "I would never get mad at you for something like this. I'll be proud of you for trying. After all you did today, if you can manage this, I'll be even prouder than I already am."

I nodded, then placed my hands over her arms and concentrated. I felt her blood flowing through her veins, but it felt too thin, like there wasn't enough there. I focused on the blood cells, willing them to multiply and produce more blood, then I felt her wounds. The skin in her neck where the strigoi had bitten her closed up, knitting itself back together, as did the cuts on her arm.

When I opened my eyes, her face no longer looked flushed, but alive with color. Her eyes brightened and her breathing had reached a steady pace. Nothing was left to indicate that she had ever been harmed in the first place, but I was starting to feel lightheaded.

I leaned on the bed for support as the world around me shifted in and out of focus. Dimitri and Sydney reached out to help me steady myself, but they were all smiling.

"I did it," I whispered in awe.

Everything seemed a blur after that, mostly because as soon as they helped me over to one of the chairs, I passed out.

When I woke back up, I was in a hospital bed, but Rose was able to stand on her own. "Well at least I'm good for something around here," I muttered, trying to figure out what was happening. It felt like the world was spinning, and that was made worse when I tried to sit up.

"Hey, don't strain yourself," Rose cautioned, "You're a little on the tired side, but you'll live. You just need to rest."

"Using your powers for the first time in a situation like this can be disorienting," Sydney said, taking my hand, "The first time Declan tried to heal me after I tried a new protection spell, he was sick in bed for almost a week."

"WHAT?!" I exclaimed, trying to sit up again, but failing (again), "I'm going to be in here for a week?!"

"No!" she tried to back track, "He was 11 at the time and didn't understand what was going on as well as you do. His primal instinct took over and told him to protect his mother, even though I told him not to worry about me. But you have a better grasp of the situation and are more physically capable than he was."

"Oh, and I thought there was reason to worry," I retorted sarcastically, falling back into the pillow.

After a minute of no one saying anything, I grunted and concentrated all my energy into getting up. I swung my feet over the edge of the bed and started standing up, but my head swam. I ignored it and pushed myself off the bed and started putting my shoes on, when everyone tried to stop me.

"Where do you think you're going?" Rose asked, blocking the exit from me.

"Uhm, my room?" I answered.

"Not until the doctor says you're good to go. You used up a lot of energy healing me. I talked to Lissa and she said that healing is easy, but replacing blood is extremely difficult. You shouldn't have even been able to do that!"

"But... I did. Now I'm tired and... I want to go to my room."

"I want to hear what the doctor says about it. You still have a sprained ankle, you know." I looked down at my foot and realized she was right. "You were so busy healing me, you must've forgotten about your injury."

"It's no big deal," I countered, pushing past her. My crutch was leaning on the wall just inside the door, so I grabbed it and limped out of the hospital and toward the main building.

They caught up with me easily, but stayed silent until I got back to my room. Sitting on the floor outside my door were Declan and James.

"What are you two doing here?" I asked, pulling out my key.

They stood up hastily and began fixing their clothes to get the lint from the floor off of them.

"We were worried about you," James said as I opened the door. Once we were all in my room (I still don't know why they all insisted on coming), James pulled me into a tight hug. "I knew you could do it," he murmured in my ear.

I giggled and took a step back, but was instantly engulfed in another hug. This one from Declan. "Good to have you back," he said cheerily.

"Guys, I've only been gone a few hours."

It was true. It wasn't even midnight. I hadn't been gone more than 7 hours.

"But when we heard you were in the ER, we got worried," Declan explained.

"They would only let family members in-"

"And your parents vouched for my mom-"

"So we had to wait."

Those two were adorable when they finished each other's sentences. I laughed and said, "Guys, I'm fine. I just need to rest. I came here to get some clothes on that AREN'T all torn, then I'm going for lunch. Anyone care to join me?"

I didn't actually mean it, but the whole gang joined me. We went to a little diner at the other end of the grounds. I stuffed myself into a seat between Declan and James, who made me look ridiculously short, even sitting down.

They all made me tell them what had happened earlier, Dimitri jumped in and helped when I was missing a detail, and everyone, even Rose, watched in awe when I told them about healing her.

When I was done, everyone tried to congratulate me at once. Declan and James moved my hair out of the way to look at my new tattoo. It was moments like this when I wished I had a phone. I would have loved to text a pic of this to Jamie!

But Dimitri told me he didn't want to risk me having a phone, in case someone decided to track it. Plus, according to the world, I was killed in a car crash. I hated that, because it opened me up for "new driver" jokes, even though I was "dead."

I tried to distract myself with conversations with everyone, but I couldn't get my mind off the real world. I mean, the world outside all of this. By the time everyone stopped talking and Dimitri and Rose picked up the bill, it was almost 2:30, so Declan decided it was time to get a little practice in.

James went off to do some training with Dimitri, Rose was going to catch up with Lissa, and Sydney was going to see if Adrian was up for a day together.

When I asked James why he wanted to train like a dhampir, he said he agreed with his father: it's not right to make the dhampirs lay down their lives for the moroi, while they don't lift a finger to stop it.

So we all went our separate ways. Within an hour of starting training with Declan, I got summoned to meet the queen in the council hall.


	5. Not-So-Sweet Dreams

I walked there, accompanied by two professional looking dhampir guardians and Declan. The dhampirs let us in and closed the door behind us, leaving us alone with Lissa, Christian, and Rose.

"Jessica," Lissa crooned, "Come here. We have something we'd like to discuss with you."

I approached the table she had been sitting at, but Declan stayed by the door, not wanting to intrude.

"Your mother told us about how you helped her," she started, lowering her voice from before, "Now, I doubt I need to tell you the kind of mess you'd be in if anyone ever found out." I shook my head, but stayed silent, "Good. Let's just keep this between us then. I have no doubt Declan already knows about it. The two of you seem very close. James probably knows too, and Sydney. Then there's us and your father. No one else needs to know about this. You must promise me you'll keep your... abilities to yourself."

I nodded, my eyes wide with worry, and Lissa smiled faintly. Standing up, she placed a gentle hand on my shoulder. "Oh, I do so hope things with you and James work out. I think you two would be very happy together."

I blushed. "What do you mean?"

"Well, aren't you two together?"

"No. I mean, not officially." It's true. We saw each other every day, but that was for training. Of course, he had helped me get better with my training, when I wasn't distracted by his- No!

Lissa bit her lip. "Well, I probably shouldn't tell you this, but your auras change when you're around each other. You two seem... happier together."

I blushed even more. Yeah, I kinda liked him, but he would never settle for a dhampir like me, so I had pushed the thought out of my head. Surely Lissa was mistaken.

"I don't think he feels that way-"

"Nonsense!" she cut me off, "He talks about you all the time! Wait. I know what you're worried about. But don't worry, he doesn't think of dhampirs the way most royals do. He wouldn't let that deter him. Go for it!"

She was trying to use compulsion on me. I could sense it. But because of all my practice with Declan, I knew how to block it. Still, could it hurt?

I decided to check out his aura the next time we saw each other and then decide. Luckily, that wasn't too long after.

Lissa dismissed us with a friendly hug and smile, and as soon as I opened the door, James's hand dropped. I guessed he was about to knock.

"Jessica," he said with a grin, "What a pleasant surprise!"

I smiled back, unable to stop myself, then remembered I was supposed to check his aura. Sure enough, his aura was bright yellow with a hint of red. Beside me, I saw Declan chuckle slightly, but ignored him.

"What are you doing here?" I asked him, finally breaking the silence.

"I came to get my parents. We're going out for a bite," he laughed a little at this, "And then we're all going bowling. It's a family thing we do every once in a while. You should join us!"

This took me by surprise. I blinked back the shock and said, "That's really sweet, but I wouldn't want to intrude on a family thing. Plus, I should probably go back to work. I have some... things to finish."

He shrugged, "Ok, but we should hang out sometime. How about a movie?"

"Sure," I said, biting my lip to keep from smiling too much, "When."

"Tomorrow? I'll let you know when I'll pick you up."

"Ok," I said in a really high voice. He winked and then went inside.

Once we turned to head back to Declan's place, I let out a breath I didn't know I had been holding.

"Don't say it," I challenged.

"She was right," he said, laughing, "Your auras do change around each other. You seemed so worried and nervous with the queen-"

"I don't get nervous," I snapped, "I get... anxious."

"Whatever," he continued, "Anyway, you seemed more relaxed at first with him, then tense again, but more of a... I don't know how to explain it. It was almost as if you were excited to see him."

"Maybe I was," I countered, "Has it ever occurred to you that I might be a little giddy in the presence of a good looking guy around the same age as me? Especially given that I'M SIXTEEN?"

Declan laughed a little more, "Why, I thought you Belikovs were above such sentimental occurrences!"

"You have no idea what you're saying, do you?"

At this, we both laughed. He continued to make fun of my "celebrity crush," as he called it, and I continued to deny it, even though we both knew he was right. The only reason he got that satisfaction was because he could read my aura.

We trained for the rest of the evening, then he walked me back to my room.

"You know, I think the two of you WOULD be happy together."

"Stop! Not you too!" I said, laughing.

He stuck out his tongue at me. "Goodnight, girlie," he said, planting a kiss on my forehead.

I smiled and headed inside. Since it was only 7 o'clock, I decided to order some room service and have dinner in front of the TV. I flipped through the channels until I found a movie I could watch: The Winter Soldier.

When it ended, a little after 9, I decided to try and get some sleep. I was an insomniac, so if I started now, maybe I would fall asleep by 11. That was a joke by the way. I'd have to start at 7 for anything close to that to happen.

Instead of sleeping, I tried dream walking. Of course my parents wouldn't be asleep at this time, but maybe Declan was. I tried him. No answer.

What about Sydney and Adrian? Adrian was asleep, but not Sydney. We talked for a bit, and he offered to come help me and Declan tomorrow when we went to train. I decided to tell him about my plans with James, hoping he would understand.

Instead, we planned around it, deciding to get some training in early in the morning. Then he joked about a Belikov finally dating an Ozera, but it wasn't mean joking. I truly believed he cared about me as his niece, he just wanted to protect me.

That last part was reiterated when he said, "If he tries anything, a dhampir would get in trouble for doing what I'll do to him."

I laughed at this. It was true, a dhampir could get in serious trouble for hurting a moroi in any way. That's why I didn't want to train with him. If I accidentally hurt him, I could get kicked out. On the other hand, if a moroi hurt another moroi, nobody said anything, except the queen, who happened to personally know both parties involved.

I might get talked to about not stopping it, but that was all. I decided to let him get back to his dream and try someone else. I was running out of options, and I was FAR from tired. I glanced over at the clock. 11:32. Great. I decided to try one more person before resorting to the sleeping pills I used to use.

When the dream came into focus, I saw that we were in the gardens just outside the main entrance. It was beautiful, even in a dream. In the sunlight, the water glistened as it danced in the fountain. The flowers, in full bloom, looked more vibrant than they do at night, creating a wall of rainbow buds around us.

"Jessica?" James said, confused, "Sometimes I forget that you're a dhampir spirit user."

"You haven't told anyone about that, have you?"

"Of course not! The last thing I want is to put you in any kind of danger."

I smiled, "So, am I interrupting something?"

"It can wait. It wasn't important."

"James, if you were doing something, I don't want to keep you from it-" Then I remembered, I couldn't pull him into this unless he was sleeping. He was probably just dreaming. I checked his aura. It was relaxed, happy, almost completely peaceful. I chalked that up to his state of dreaminess.

His lips curled up in a smile, which sent a flutter to my heart.

"So," he started, "What did you want to do? Actually, first, why are we here? Not that I'm complaining, I'm just... curious." The last word was barely a whisper.

"I couldn't sleep," I explained simply.

"So you visited me?" He raised an eyebrow questioningly at me.

"I figured no one else would be asleep, so I tried Adrian, the two of us talked for a while, then I forgot that my parents actually do go to bed before noon, so I tried you because no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't fall asleep-"

He cut me off with a light laugh. "Jess, don't worry. I get it. I know what it's like to not be able to sleep. I have my cooks send me up this- well it's almost like tea, but it has something in it, that as soon as you drink it all, you start to fall asleep. I'll have my servants fetch you some."

"Ok," I muttered, kinda disappointed that we wouldn't get to talk much longer.

"I'll see you in a few minutes," he said with a wink, and then disappeared. I let go of the dream and returned to my bed, confused. Was HE going to bring it up to me? Whatever. At this point, I didn't care, as long as I got some sleep tonight.

Not even 10 minutes later, there was a knock on my door and James came in, carrying a light pink mug of something that smelled intoxicatingly good!

"That smells delicious!" I said when he set the mug down on my bedside table.

"It tastes even better. I had the cooks add something in it to take away the effects of spirit. I know how much dream walking can take out of you." Before I could ask how, he explained, "Sometimes when my mother has someone she needs to talk to on the other side of the world, like when Rose and Dimitri were tracking someone down in Siberia, she visits them in their dreams because it's more... enjoyable, let's say, that way. But afterwards, she's always drained, and without someone or something there to absorb the darkness, she... well, let's just say she's not well."

His expression darkened after that last sentence. I pulled him into a hug. He stiffened at first, then fell into it, pulling me closer to him. His fingers became entangled in my hair and I felt his breath on my neck.

It lasted no more than a minute, before he pulled away and eyed the mug.

"You should drink it before it gets cold," he suggested. His voice returned to normal and his expression betrayed no hint of what had just happened.

I nodded. "Thanks again for this. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"It is tomorrow," he countered with a grin, "But yeah. Can I pick you up around 1? We can have lunch there."

I nodded, trying to keep from smiling too much. So instead, I pulled the mug to my lips and took a sip. It was liquid heaven!

"Mmmm this tastes so good!" I sighed.

"See you tomorrow," he said after kissing my cheek. He stood up and shot me one last glance that seemed somewhere between worried and affectionate.

I drained the mug in a few sips and fell asleep soon after. I dreamt about my life before all of this. About Jamie, Marianne, Christine. About school, work, my family.


End file.
